A Time to Smile

A trip to Ladakh during its most bountiful season

On our expedition to the remote region of Ladakh in northeastern India, we seemed to arrive at each village exactly at harvest time (late August through mid-September). The staple crop of the area is barley, although we often saw fields of wheat, peas, mustard, and assorted vegetables. A roasted barley meal called ngamphe is the principal item of the Ladakhi diet, but barley beer (chang) has got to be a close second.

The harvesting is done communally and often accompanied by call-and-response singing. Despite the harsh climate and terrain, the people of Ladakh could not have been any sweeter. A cheerful greeting of Juley, Juley! was all that was needed to elicit a sunny smile from anyone we met.